The wickets of Shayne O'Connor, Mohammed Sami and Doug Bracewell are not among the most prized but for three South Africa bowlers they are some of the most memorable. For Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn those men became their 300th Test victim. Shaun Pollock, the other South African to reach the milestone, bucked the trend with the more sought-after Michael Vaughan.

The 300-club does not quite have the same level of exclusivity as it once did - that is more the domain of the 400 and 500 milestones - but 300 scalps is still a mighty achievement. Its 24 members include the West Indian greats, the two Ws of Pakistan, Australia's danger men both new and old and the two best spinners to have graced the world's cricket pitches. Apart from Zimbabwe and Bangladesh the major Test nations are all represented and the bowlers are all fabled.

Now, Steyn is also part of it and deservedly so. He was first ranking at No. 1 by the ICC in April 2008 and has not been out of the top three from then onwards. Since August 2009 he has had the top spot. He can make ball dance uninhibited to his tune where others are not able to coax a finger-tap out of it. From Port Elizabeth, where he made his debut, to Perth, where he last played a Test before the summer began, Steyn has made an impact. Against New Zealand, he has made some of his deepest ones.

New Zealand have been at the receiving end of the full spectrum of Steyn - from rookie to the most respected bowler in the world. Here is a look at how he got to 300, using New Zealand's batsmen as stepping stones to greatness.

Steyn had only played three Test before this series, having had international honours bestowed on him when his career was only 14 first-class matches old. He was reported to be able to swing the ball at pace but few had seen him do it and his returns against England were modest, not spectacular.

That changed against New Zealand. Steyn was given the new ball ahead of Shaun Pollock and tasked with operating alongside Makhaya Ntini. A line-up that included Stephen Fleming, Nathan Astle and Jacob Oram had to contend with pace at one end and persistence from the other. Steyn and Ntini ripped them apart and wore them down respectively. Between them, they took 36 of the 60 wickets available in the series victory.
Steyn had arrived. Even then, his mean streak was obvious. He was able to charge himself up alone and feed off the energy of Ntini. There was still some fear in him though, mostly of his own ability.

After being dropped earlier in the year, Steyn forced his way back into the team following a county stint at Warwickshire and strong performances for the Titans franchise. He remembered the lead up to the New Zealand series feeling like a "purple patch," although there isn't anything in the numbers to suggest that it was.

Against Pakistan before this series he had some success but there was nothing which hinted at the devastation that would come. It was hostile, very hostile. Steyn took 10 wickets in each of the two matches and genuinely scared the New Zealand batsmen with his speed and aggression.

At his home ground in Centurion, Steyn plucked them out by rushing them into playing shots. Some of their batsmen said Steyn was also difficult to pick up which made him doubly dangerous. At the Wanderers, he caused even greater damage when he felled Craig Cumming. The New Zealand opener required surgery and intensive care after a fractured jaw and cheekbone. Steyn could draw blood and he showed it.

After that series Steyn had arrived again and this time showed he could stay.

South Africa did not play New Zealand for five years and in that time Steyn rose to the top of the rankings. Amongst his accolades were wickets in India including eight in Ahmedabad and 10 in Nagpur, where his 7 for 61 was the stuff of genius. He had also picked up 10 in Melbourne during South Africa's historic 2008-09 tour where they became the first team to beat Australia at home in 15 years.

His role in the attack had also changed. He had become its spearhead after both Pollock and Ntini retired and was required to lead the likes of Morne Morkel. Graeme Smith repeatedly called him his "go-to," man and would bring him back for spells when he "wanted him to make something happen."

There were times when Morkel's inconsistency and the lack of a third seamer meant Steyn was frustrated by having to carry the responsibility alone. That changed in November 2011 when Vernon Philander was chosen to debut against Australia. Philander partnered Steyn with the new ball which proved a good decision.

Philander relied on accuracy and subtlety, Steyn on drama. They swept Australia and Sri Lanka aside but the spotlight moved off Steyn. Philander hogged headlines and although Steyn said he did not mind, his obvious irritation at being asked what it felt like to watch someone else take all the wickets indicated differently.

It came out in New Zealand, where Steyn was the least successful of South Africa's pacemen. Philander's dream run continued, Morkel found maturity in Wellington which has continued since and Steyn was left with the rest. He grew tetchy but he also grew up.

Series 4: ongoing. Steyn brings up his 300th wicket with a career average of 23.69

Steyn has become used to operating in an attack where the glory is shared, because he knows he is still its front man. South Africa's two series wins in England and Australia are proof of that. At The Oval, he was called on to produce the spell of fire on the second morning and he delivered. In Perth, he burst through Australia to set up defence of the Test mace.

He had to wait until six wickets had tumbled - five of them in the space of 25 balls to Philander - before he took a wicket in this match. There was a point in the morning session where it seemed Steyn could do everything except take a wicket. He had the ball moving, he exploited the moisture in the surface, he had the batsmen worried but he did not have anything to show for it.

Then it came and it was perfect. Pitching on middle and off, moving into Bracewell then away before flattening the stumps. The celebrations were less wild than expected. Steyn did not do the Brett Lee, he just high-fived his team-mates and stood with them in a huddle, wearing the fierce expression that can only be saying, "I can do it and I will." Don't New Zealand know.

The Steyn ball which pitches on middle/leg and then rips out the off stump is just cricket poetry He announced himself with it against Vaughan in his debut series, and so fitting that he should get to this landmark with it. Never mind that it was Bracewell, that ball would have got Bradman.

on January 2, 2013, 20:12 GMT

I love watching Vernon Philander bowl-he is a throwback to a forgotten type-the medium fast swing/seam man ala Terry Alderman,I.T.Botham,Kapil,etc.In some ways he has redefined the bowling unit which in modern day cricket is so influenced by the speed gun.
HOWEVER,as magnificent as Big Vern has been he is not in Steyn's class,not even close.Steyn creates pressure allowing Philander to feed off that menace to produce wicket taking deliveries.When the going got tough in England and Australia,guess who the "go-to" man was? D.W Steyn,the leader of the pack and the only man in the S.A attack who can change a gear up in pace when required to.Certainly he may not always take the most wickets and will bowl poorly at times but he is a true great.

HyderabadiFlick
on January 2, 2013, 19:57 GMT

I had the privilege of watching Steyn LIVE in Hyderabad in an IPL5 last league match against RCB from on-side stands and I can compare him to a Puma running into to prey, hardly he takes 9 steps to deliver the ball from the 30 yard circle.There were other bowlers too in that match but did not have the class or the speed of him.And the ball was whistling past the batsmen and hardly I could see the ball. Imagine the batsmen in the middle. And the accuracy at that pace is very rare.I have seen Akthar, Waqar, Donald & Lee bowling loose balls but Steyn & Bond are 2 bowlers I will have in my side any day. I will put my money on Steyn to break 563 wkts of Mcgrath. Given his fitness and athleticism and age he looks to be the sole contender. Good Luck! Steyn for more wickets.

legfinedeep
on January 3, 2013, 13:37 GMT

Steyn has the best strike rate among all those illustrious bowlers.

on January 3, 2013, 12:05 GMT

I now realise that I was misinformed, Waqar Younis is in fact the fastest man to 300 in terms of least number of deliveries. Steyn is 2nd fastest.

on January 3, 2013, 10:02 GMT

No one other than the SA commentators are willing to mention that Steyn got to 300 in 1000 fewer balls than the next fastest: Dennis Lillee. But everyone covers this up and insists that Dennis Lillee is the best.

on January 3, 2013, 8:06 GMT

@ PureTom - Yes McGrath might have taken more if Warne wasnt in the side
Of course Steyn also has people 'steal' his wickets

Although that assumption is flawed because great bowlers gain from having other great bowlers in the side.
The fact that you cant block on the one end and try and score at the other improves both bowlers chances of taking wickets

You never know Murali might have taken more if he had more support

on January 3, 2013, 8:01 GMT

That was the same ball that claimed the price wicket of Clarke in the first innings in Perth...It is Magic,not bowling,but magic...Hope Steynky goes on his merry way to go on and get more..

on January 3, 2013, 7:51 GMT

Steyn beating McGrath at 563 wickets is NEVER out of question. Considering Steyn has performed magnificently in the last gone decade which was **MOSTLY** BATSMEN-FRIENDLY as far as pitches are compared, only makes his stats even more amazing. And anyway McGrath wasn't exactly a fast bowler especially if we compare him to Steyn, Donald, Walsh, Younis, Akram...all of them, my favorite fast bowlers. Never liked McGrath, ...especially since he was called a *Fast* bowler. Steyn's half way through,...half way to go. He will do it, no surprises there.

pops2
on January 3, 2013, 7:15 GMT

Front-Foot-Lunge, I believe you are right and that is because the other two seamers are not support bowlers, they are strike bowlers and simply put, there are less wickets for the taking.

on January 2, 2013, 20:37 GMT

The Steyn ball which pitches on middle/leg and then rips out the off stump is just cricket poetry He announced himself with it against Vaughan in his debut series, and so fitting that he should get to this landmark with it. Never mind that it was Bracewell, that ball would have got Bradman.

on January 2, 2013, 20:12 GMT

I love watching Vernon Philander bowl-he is a throwback to a forgotten type-the medium fast swing/seam man ala Terry Alderman,I.T.Botham,Kapil,etc.In some ways he has redefined the bowling unit which in modern day cricket is so influenced by the speed gun.
HOWEVER,as magnificent as Big Vern has been he is not in Steyn's class,not even close.Steyn creates pressure allowing Philander to feed off that menace to produce wicket taking deliveries.When the going got tough in England and Australia,guess who the "go-to" man was? D.W Steyn,the leader of the pack and the only man in the S.A attack who can change a gear up in pace when required to.Certainly he may not always take the most wickets and will bowl poorly at times but he is a true great.

HyderabadiFlick
on January 2, 2013, 19:57 GMT

I had the privilege of watching Steyn LIVE in Hyderabad in an IPL5 last league match against RCB from on-side stands and I can compare him to a Puma running into to prey, hardly he takes 9 steps to deliver the ball from the 30 yard circle.There were other bowlers too in that match but did not have the class or the speed of him.And the ball was whistling past the batsmen and hardly I could see the ball. Imagine the batsmen in the middle. And the accuracy at that pace is very rare.I have seen Akthar, Waqar, Donald & Lee bowling loose balls but Steyn & Bond are 2 bowlers I will have in my side any day. I will put my money on Steyn to break 563 wkts of Mcgrath. Given his fitness and athleticism and age he looks to be the sole contender. Good Luck! Steyn for more wickets.

legfinedeep
on January 3, 2013, 13:37 GMT

Steyn has the best strike rate among all those illustrious bowlers.

on January 3, 2013, 12:05 GMT

I now realise that I was misinformed, Waqar Younis is in fact the fastest man to 300 in terms of least number of deliveries. Steyn is 2nd fastest.

on January 3, 2013, 10:02 GMT

No one other than the SA commentators are willing to mention that Steyn got to 300 in 1000 fewer balls than the next fastest: Dennis Lillee. But everyone covers this up and insists that Dennis Lillee is the best.

on January 3, 2013, 8:06 GMT

@ PureTom - Yes McGrath might have taken more if Warne wasnt in the side
Of course Steyn also has people 'steal' his wickets

Although that assumption is flawed because great bowlers gain from having other great bowlers in the side.
The fact that you cant block on the one end and try and score at the other improves both bowlers chances of taking wickets

You never know Murali might have taken more if he had more support

on January 3, 2013, 8:01 GMT

That was the same ball that claimed the price wicket of Clarke in the first innings in Perth...It is Magic,not bowling,but magic...Hope Steynky goes on his merry way to go on and get more..

on January 3, 2013, 7:51 GMT

Steyn beating McGrath at 563 wickets is NEVER out of question. Considering Steyn has performed magnificently in the last gone decade which was **MOSTLY** BATSMEN-FRIENDLY as far as pitches are compared, only makes his stats even more amazing. And anyway McGrath wasn't exactly a fast bowler especially if we compare him to Steyn, Donald, Walsh, Younis, Akram...all of them, my favorite fast bowlers. Never liked McGrath, ...especially since he was called a *Fast* bowler. Steyn's half way through,...half way to go. He will do it, no surprises there.

pops2
on January 3, 2013, 7:15 GMT

Front-Foot-Lunge, I believe you are right and that is because the other two seamers are not support bowlers, they are strike bowlers and simply put, there are less wickets for the taking.

Safalicious
on January 3, 2013, 5:46 GMT

SO, in an all time SA team, do we pick Steyn ahead of Donald, Pollock, Proctor, vd Bijl? tough call but I would probably pick Steyn and have Pollock carry drinks.

Would be an awesome quartet with Kallis in the allrounder role. I would give anything to see that lineup play the Windies of the 80's.

on January 3, 2013, 4:08 GMT

Best bowler in the world now.

Markus971
on January 2, 2013, 22:27 GMT

This guy bowls fierce spells at 145kph & accurately, swingers .bouncers.. The best Fast Bowler I think I've seen!!, well in the last decade at least!

Chris_Howard
on January 2, 2013, 21:57 GMT

@Daryl Gobey,so damn right. It's the perfect ball. And Steyn seems to bowl them whenever he feels like it! One of the great bowlers is Steyn. Well done to him, hope he gets to 500.

on January 2, 2013, 20:14 GMT

@FFL, what are you trying to say?

PureTom
on January 2, 2013, 18:36 GMT

@Front-Foot-Lunge. You are correct, but mostly because there are other consistent wicket takers in the side now. It would be interesting to see his averages over the two periods. One assumes that McGrath, Warne and even Gillespie would have taken a lot more wickets had the others not been in the same team as them (ala Murali).

hst84
on January 2, 2013, 18:11 GMT

Well done Dale on reaching 300 Test match scalps. Hope you go a long way from here..

Kirstenfan
on January 2, 2013, 18:02 GMT

Your articles about Steyn seem to very reluctantly want to give him credit -

i.e. "Dale Steyn has been among the world's leading fast bowlers, if not the best, since 2008 and his career reached another landmark at Newlands"

He has indisputably been the best during that time, with Anderson, Philander, Johnson and a few others being good in patches or for a period, Steyn has been the best that whole time.

I don't understand it. Steyn has been the biggest reason SA is number 1, followed very closely by Kallis, Amla, Smith, Morkel, AB and Philander.

You need to give Steyn proper credit and stop saying that his powers are waning or that Philander is so much better than him - there is no doubt that Vern is amazing, but Steyn has a different type of skill and has been number 1 for 3.5 years for the very best of all reasons - he is just that good. All hail Steyn, what a legend.

on January 2, 2013, 17:59 GMT

Love his bowling, absolute class. Hope he gets at least 600 wickets before he retires from Tests; actually, judging from his current form, that may not even be a problem. Outswingers, inswingers, bouncers, he's got them all. It's as if he can make the ball talk, especially in South Africa.

Kirstenfan
on January 2, 2013, 17:58 GMT

The series in November 2007 was 2 tests, not 3, and Craig Cumming was taken out at Centurion and not the Wanderers...facts right, please

Front-Foot-Lunge
on January 2, 2013, 17:45 GMT

Steyn still is a quality bowler but hasn't quite had the results in the last year to match the huge and consistent hauls he was taking 2-3 years ago.

on January 2, 2013, 20:37 GMT

The Steyn ball which pitches on middle/leg and then rips out the off stump is just cricket poetry He announced himself with it against Vaughan in his debut series, and so fitting that he should get to this landmark with it. Never mind that it was Bracewell, that ball would have got Bradman.

on January 2, 2013, 20:12 GMT

I love watching Vernon Philander bowl-he is a throwback to a forgotten type-the medium fast swing/seam man ala Terry Alderman,I.T.Botham,Kapil,etc.In some ways he has redefined the bowling unit which in modern day cricket is so influenced by the speed gun.
HOWEVER,as magnificent as Big Vern has been he is not in Steyn's class,not even close.Steyn creates pressure allowing Philander to feed off that menace to produce wicket taking deliveries.When the going got tough in England and Australia,guess who the "go-to" man was? D.W Steyn,the leader of the pack and the only man in the S.A attack who can change a gear up in pace when required to.Certainly he may not always take the most wickets and will bowl poorly at times but he is a true great.

HyderabadiFlick
on January 2, 2013, 19:57 GMT

I had the privilege of watching Steyn LIVE in Hyderabad in an IPL5 last league match against RCB from on-side stands and I can compare him to a Puma running into to prey, hardly he takes 9 steps to deliver the ball from the 30 yard circle.There were other bowlers too in that match but did not have the class or the speed of him.And the ball was whistling past the batsmen and hardly I could see the ball. Imagine the batsmen in the middle. And the accuracy at that pace is very rare.I have seen Akthar, Waqar, Donald & Lee bowling loose balls but Steyn & Bond are 2 bowlers I will have in my side any day. I will put my money on Steyn to break 563 wkts of Mcgrath. Given his fitness and athleticism and age he looks to be the sole contender. Good Luck! Steyn for more wickets.

Front-Foot-Lunge
on January 2, 2013, 17:45 GMT

Steyn still is a quality bowler but hasn't quite had the results in the last year to match the huge and consistent hauls he was taking 2-3 years ago.

Kirstenfan
on January 2, 2013, 17:58 GMT

The series in November 2007 was 2 tests, not 3, and Craig Cumming was taken out at Centurion and not the Wanderers...facts right, please

on January 2, 2013, 17:59 GMT

Love his bowling, absolute class. Hope he gets at least 600 wickets before he retires from Tests; actually, judging from his current form, that may not even be a problem. Outswingers, inswingers, bouncers, he's got them all. It's as if he can make the ball talk, especially in South Africa.

Kirstenfan
on January 2, 2013, 18:02 GMT

Your articles about Steyn seem to very reluctantly want to give him credit -

i.e. "Dale Steyn has been among the world's leading fast bowlers, if not the best, since 2008 and his career reached another landmark at Newlands"

He has indisputably been the best during that time, with Anderson, Philander, Johnson and a few others being good in patches or for a period, Steyn has been the best that whole time.

I don't understand it. Steyn has been the biggest reason SA is number 1, followed very closely by Kallis, Amla, Smith, Morkel, AB and Philander.

You need to give Steyn proper credit and stop saying that his powers are waning or that Philander is so much better than him - there is no doubt that Vern is amazing, but Steyn has a different type of skill and has been number 1 for 3.5 years for the very best of all reasons - he is just that good. All hail Steyn, what a legend.

hst84
on January 2, 2013, 18:11 GMT

Well done Dale on reaching 300 Test match scalps. Hope you go a long way from here..

PureTom
on January 2, 2013, 18:36 GMT

@Front-Foot-Lunge. You are correct, but mostly because there are other consistent wicket takers in the side now. It would be interesting to see his averages over the two periods. One assumes that McGrath, Warne and even Gillespie would have taken a lot more wickets had the others not been in the same team as them (ala Murali).

on January 2, 2013, 20:14 GMT

@FFL, what are you trying to say?

Chris_Howard
on January 2, 2013, 21:57 GMT

@Daryl Gobey,so damn right. It's the perfect ball. And Steyn seems to bowl them whenever he feels like it! One of the great bowlers is Steyn. Well done to him, hope he gets to 500.

Markus971
on January 2, 2013, 22:27 GMT

This guy bowls fierce spells at 145kph & accurately, swingers .bouncers.. The best Fast Bowler I think I've seen!!, well in the last decade at least!